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Selective Plastic Photo Upcycling to Acetic Acid via Coupled Oxidation and CO2 Reduction Over an S-Scheme g-C3N4/Fe2O3 Heterojunction.
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Researchers synthesized a sulfur-doped graphitic carbon nitride/iron oxide S-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst that converts polyethylene, polystyrene, and PET plastics into acetic acid under simulated sunlight, achieving up to 77% polyethylene conversion by sequentially photo-oxidizing the polymer to CO and then reducing CO to acetate via paired electron and hole reactions.
Photo-assisted upcycling of nonbiodegradable plastic waste offers a sustainable route to mitigate plastic pollution, yet remains limited by low efficiency and poor product selectivity. Herein, we report a S-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst composed of sulfur-doped and sulfonic-acid functionalized graphitic carbon nitride coupled with iron oxide (S-g-CN/FeO) for selective plastic upcycling under ambient conditions. The synthesized catalyst converts polyethylene, polystyrene, and polyethylene terephthalate into acetic acid under simulated sunlight, achieving up to 77% polyethylene conversion with a yield rate of 0.42 mmol g⋅cat h. Radical trapping experiments identify electrons and holes as the key reactive species. Combined Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), UV-Visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and as chromatography analyses confirm CO formation by photooxidation of polyethylene followed and subsequent reduction to acetate. Importantly, the photo upcycling of the commercial plastic products further validated the practicality of this approach for sustainable C chemicals production.
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A bio-inspired cascade photocatalysis system using iron single-atom catalysts converts plastic waste (PVC, PE, PET, PP) into acetic acid under solar irradiation, achieving yields up to 63.8 mg/h/g. This approach offers a sustainable pathway to upcycle plastic pollution into value-added chemicals, addressing both waste accumulation and resource recovery simultaneously.
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A carbon nitride/nickel phosphide photocatalyst was used to photoreform non-recyclable PET and PLA plastic waste at ambient temperature, producing clean hydrogen fuel and organic chemicals without precious metals or toxic components. The study demonstrates a low-energy, scalable approach to converting plastic waste into valuable chemical feedstocks using sunlight.
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Researchers synthesized a carbon nitride photocatalyst using waste PET plastic as a protective scaffold for iron and oxygen co-doping, producing a material that degraded organic pollutants 8.3 times faster than unmodified carbon nitride within 40 minutes, while remaining effective in complex real-water matrices.
Selective Photocatalytic Upcycling of Polystyrene Plastic to High-Value Chemicals by a Single-Atom Fe Catalyst.
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Researchers used a single-atom iron catalyst anchored to carbon nitride to selectively convert polystyrene waste into benzoic acid under visible light at room temperature, achieving 86% PS conversion with 91% selectivity, driven by photogenerated holes and reactive oxygen species that cleave C–H and C–C bonds in a controlled fashion.
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Researchers designed a high-entropy oxide photocatalyst to simultaneously convert CO and PET plastic waste into useful fuels and chemicals using light, finding that the presence of plastic waste boosted CO and methane production 2.5-3.3 times while also yielding valuable organic chemicals like ethylene glycol and acetic acid.
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